How to Boost Sales on Valentine’s Day in 3 Easy Steps

Valentine’s holiday spending reached a record high of nearly 20 billion dollars in 2016 according to National Retail Federation’s Valentine’s Day Consumer Spending Survey.After a brief dip in 2014, retail spending related to Valentine’s Day rebounded in 2015 with continued growth projected for 2017. Smart eCommerce retailers are doing all they can to boost sales and get their share of the holiday revenues, and you should too!

The holiday may be near, but it is not too late to launch smart, quick marketing promotions to boost sales this Valentine’s Day. Rakuten Super Logistics has put together 3 easy steps to win over last-minute (and sometimes, clueless) Valentine’s Day gift-givers. Read more to learn how to boost sales on Valentine’s Day.

Share with your fans all the ways your product may come in handy for Valentine’s Day and get creative! Whether your product makes a great gift or makes a great date (think gym supplements, hobby gadgets), find a way to make the Valentine’s Day connection for all the love birds, as well as the happy singles. Who needs a Valentine when they’ve got a new flavor of protein powder and an empty gym?

Get creative with your social media marketing efforts with a quick gift guide, showcasing some customer favorites from your online store. Selling electronics? Try putting together a gift guide titled, “Gadgets Your Valentine Will Love”. Sometimes all customers need is a little inspiration.

While a bit of inspiration may go a long way for some, others could use all the help they can get. A humorous post dedicated to clueless gift-givers and anxious gift-recipients asking followers to tag their partner in a post promoting your Valentine-worthy gift ideas could boost sales. Add a caption that reads: “What’s on your Valentine’s wish list? Tag your significant other to give them a hint.”

Step 2: Stay True with Exclusive Add-On Deals at Checkout

Boost per-visit spending by offering exclusive discounted add-ons with a purchase. A study by University of Amsterdam Business School shows that online stores showcasing products related to customers’ interests and with interesting offers are likely to create positive emotions, therefore creating impulse buys. Suggesting a similar or related product at checkout is a proven way to boost sales and generate revenue that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

Keep add-ons to low-ticket items that don’t require much of a decision making process. Treat online add-ons at checkout the same way brick-and-mortar stores do, by suggesting small gifts customers can never have too much of. A great gift accessory coupled with a great deal is a great way to boost sales because it can be hard to resist for customers who are especially feeling the love.

If your eCommerce store doesn’t offer many smaller accessories, try a “for them” and “for you” approach by enticing your customer to treat themselves to a similar gift, as well. This strategy can work well for couples if your store offers a “his & hers” option or for friends who are looking to match their BFFs on a girls’ night out for Valentine’s Day.

Step 3: Sharing is Caring: Reward Customer Referrals

What’s better than a Valentine’s Day kiss? A word-of-mouth referral! Once you’ve made a sale, encourage your happy customer to share it with their friends! A Nielsen study shows that consumers are four times more likely to buy when referred by a friend. Use this to your advantage by reminding people to spread the love and share their great purchase with friends also looking to spoil a friend or lover for Valentine’s Day.

Offer a promo code at checkout to use on their next purchase if they send a referral link to a friend via email. Not only will this increase your customer base by introducing your eCommerce site to new customers, it will also increase return customers with an incentive to come back and shop again.

You can also promote referrals on social media by asking followers to repost your Valentine’s-themed promotion on their social media outlets. Keep in mind, this works best with humorous or clever posts (here’s a little inspiration). If humor doesn’t suit your brand, user generated campaigns can be highly effective in swaying customers to make a purchase and boost sales for your company.

Boost shipping & fulfillment in one easy step. Getting smart about last-minute marketing tactics is the first step in optimizing your eCommerce business strategy. Next step? Getting smart about fulfillment by optimizing your eCommerce shipping and fulfillment operations.

Rakuten Super Logistics’ team of expert eCommerce fulfillment advisers can get you started in evaluating your current operations and implement a solution that’s right for your business. Contact our team today to learn how fulfillment done smart supports your growing business.